Phil Mickelson has finally answered his own questions. Victory in the Mercedes Championship in Carlsbad, California, on Sunday was his 12th on the US Tour and put paid to self-expressed fears that he was being left behind by other players.

At a time when the "young bucks", as Mickelson called them, were dominating the professional scene, the 27-year-old felt left out.

"There were a lot of reasons," he explained. "David (Duval) won the last three tournaments of the year; Justin (Leonard) won a major, and Ernie (Els) won the US Open again. I felt like in college I had a pretty good record against these guys, and for me not playing to that level last season was disappointing."

And, of course, there was also a certain Tiger Woods, who won four titles, including the Masters, on his way to collecting the 1997 Player of the Year award.

So, it was a touch ironic - and, perhaps, fitting - that Mickelson should re-enter the winner's enclosure by holding off a late charge from Woods. Despite a shaky finish, with a bogey on the last, Mickelson fired a final round 68 for a 72-hole total of 271 and a one-stroke margin over Woods and Mark O'Meara. It was the sixth time in seven tournaments that Mickelson had taken a lead into the final round and won.

"You're only as good as your last performance. I missed a couple of putts at the Ryder Cup without what I felt was good reason. I didn't close out at Sun City ($1 million Challenge) the way I should have. With Nick Price only two back, like he was at Sun City, and Tiger making a charge, this was an important tournament for me to win," said Mickelson, who moved up to fifth in the world rankings. Woods' second place was enough to enable him to reclaim the number one position in the rankings from Greg Norman.

Mickelson collected a first prize of $306,000 and the keys to a 1998 white SL500. Ironically, he'd bought a similar car for his wife, Amy, two weeks ago. "She told me to hang on for the Mercedes Championship, but I couldn't wait to buy it," he remarked.

Duval, who was seeking a fourth-straight win on the US Tour, finished in tied-sixth after failing to weave his magic on the Carlsbad greens. But he remarked: "There is no relief the streak is over. I wish I had that kind of pressure on me every week."

Meanwhile, Casey Martin, who is bringing the US Tour to court in an effort to use a golf cart during tournaments, won the Nike Lakeland Classic in Florida last weekend. Martin, who suffers from a circulatory disorder, Klippel Trenaunay-Webber syndrome, was given an exemption to use a cart until the court case is heard in February. Tim Finchem, the US Tour commissioner, issued a statement after the 25-year-old rookie's win: "We congratulate Casey Martin on his win, just as we do the victor in all our events. The fact remains Mr Martin participated and won while using a golf cart under the terms of a court order. "The outcome of this week's Nike Lakeland Classic doesn't in any way affect the PGA Tour's position to the use of golf carts in competition. We continue to assert that everyone who plays on the PGA Tour or Nike Tour should be subject to the same rules and regulations and that, further, the PGA Tour should retain the right to determine the conditions of competition, including requiring all PGA Tour and Nike Tour players to walk."

Neither Keith Nolan nor Richard Coughlan - the two Irish players who have won their cards for the US Tour this season - are entered in the Bob Hope Classic at Palm Springs this week. However, Nolan is playing in the South Florida Classic at Palm Air on the Nike tour, which starts on Thursday.